The Hunt
by Awen Sofer
Summary: He is issued the bleak order: RUN! And the hunt begins. Grimmjow never imagined the sweet redhead he met would become his worst nightmare with a pistol grip shotgun and one word on her lips - run. OC/AU
1. The Hunt Begins

The Hunt Begins

"RUN!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, literally kicking in him in the ass.

Grimmjow rolled from the back of the truck then struggled to get to his feet which was no easy task considering his hands were tied together. Crazy bitch. What now? He glared at the woman wishing looks could kill because he wanted her dead.

"You first asshole," she spat out bitterly as if she could read his thoughts. "Here! I won't leave you without a weapon," she said, throwing the hunting knife at him.

How thoughtful. Grimmjow stared at the weapon stabbing the damp earth between his feet. His bright blue eyes virtually glowed with fury when they looked back at her to see that she had leveled her prized silver pistol grip shotgun on his face.

"I said run," she muttered in a menacing voice. The click of the gun being cocked echoed across the air between them. "This won't be any fun for either of us if I splatter your brains on that tree behind you right now. If you run, you have at least have a slim chance of surviving. I'll tell you one more time before I pull the trigger. Run."

He reached down to grab the knife and did as he was ordered. He ran.

"Psycho bitch," Grimmjow mumbled, placing the knife between his knees. He apprehensively glanced around hoping he ran far enough away from her to be safe for a while at least. He sawed through the thick rope binding his wrists as quickly as he could. He had to be ready when she came for him. A grunt escaped him when the final strands were cut through and he was free. His knees were sore from holding the bulky and uneven wooden handle of the ancient hunting knife. At least the blade was sharp. He imagined how delighted he would be to slit her pretty throat and allow her blood to spill; the same throat he had once kissed and nipped as he drove her to orgasm after orgasm.

If only he had known then what he knows now. He would have just waited in line that day.

* * *

_She was standing near the front of the long line at his favorite café. Her unusual hair color had caught his eye first. It was a dark auburn red, so dark it appeared to be brown until the sunlight hit it. Next he had noted the length of it. It flowed to her waist in long waves resembling how a child draws the ocean. She had dark cocoa colored eyes that looked as warm and inviting as her smile that she lavished upon her fellow customers ahead of her and behind her as they chatted casually while waiting._

_Damn this was a long line. Grimmjow did not feel like waiting. He also wanted to meet the red haired beauty so he took a wild chance._

_"Honey!" he yelled enthusiastically, getting out of the line to rush to her. He spun her around and hugged her, feeling her body immediately stiffen from his touch. "I had no idea you were here! Imagine bumping into you."_

_"Hey!" a teenage girl squealed._

_"Oh, man, come on," an angst filled, twenty something university student grumbled._

_"No cutting the line!" a woman yelled._

_"Hey, hey, people, this is my girlfriend who I haven't seen for a year," he lied, continuing with the falsehood when they sent up more protests. "I have been out of the country and just got back. My plane landed an hour ago. She didn't even know I was in town because I was going to surprise her later."_

_"Wow, that's amazing," she muttered when he confidently put his arm around her shoulders to carry off the subterfuge. "You almost had me believing your lie it was so convincing."_

_"I'll buy your coffee and you can pick a treat for being a good girl," Grimmjow said, intentionally being demeaning._

_"Just when I thought your bullshit couldn't get any deeper. You're special," she retorted. "The short bus kind of special."_

_"Next!" the girl at the register yelled._

_"A tall cherry chocolate mocha with an extra shot and extra whipped cream. I'll also have one of those cherry Danishes and a white chocolate chip cookie," she announced meeting his stunned gazed with a smile. "I've missed you, dear. You take such good care of me. I'll be waiting in the corner."_

_Grimmjow issued a stunned grunt when she pulled his face down to hers and kissed his lips. He stared at her as she trotted to the table in the back corner to wait just like she had said she would._

_"Sir!" the cashier called impatiently._

_"Oh, yeah, right. Just a large plain coffee," he ordered, taking his wallet out of his back pocket while sliding another curious glance at the redhead._

_"Twelve forty-two ,sir," the girl demanded._

_"What? How do you sleep at night?" he asked incredulously, handing her a twenty dollar bill so she could rape him financially._

_"Quite well sir because bozos like you pay for this overpriced crap," she admitted with a wry grin. She shoved the tray into his hands with their order on it. "Next!"_

_Grimmjow's eyes were on her face as he walked to the table. He had not noticed the light brown freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose. What some would deem a flaw on her perfect porcelain skin he viewed as captivating and it only made her prettier in his opinion._

_"Thanks!" she exclaimed, greedily grabbing her items from the tray._

_"You're really going to eat all of that?" he inquired, watching her dip her finger into the Danish then bring it to her pouty pink lips and suck it. Damn. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair when something immediately began to grow below his belt._

_"No. I'm saving the cookie for later after I've studied for a few hours," she answered candidly, moaning with satisfaction after taking a sip of her coffee._

_Oh, hell. This woman was turning him on without even trying to. He shifted again as his member throbbed and pulsed causing a very painful ache to form in his tight jeans._

_"I have to ask," she began with food in her mouth while she talked. "What possessed you to do that? Why in the world would you walk up to a stranger and do something like that? What if I was some crazy person?"_

_"You don't look crazy," he answered, sipping his coffee._

_"You can't tell crazy by looking at it. You don't look stupid either," she responded hatefully and without remorse._

_Ouch! Touché! That was a painful verbal parry she executed quite admirably. Grimmjow liked her._

_After inhaling the cherry Danish, she wrapped up the cookie and stuck it in her purse. Grabbing her coffee, she stood to leave._

_"Thank you again. It's been…weird and slightly disturbing but I must go," she announced, bouncing toward the door._

_The sun glinted off her hair in a way that made a golden aura over it and it reminded him of wind blowing over a field of wheat as the waves shimmered from the light. He jumped to his feet, racing after her._

_"Hey! Hey!" he yelled but she ignored him and continued on her way. He broke into a full speed run to catch her. Jogging around to stand in front of her, she stopped at last. "Can I get your name?"_

_"No," she responded tersely. She stepped around him and continued on her way._

_"What?" Grimmjow murmured to himself, thoroughly bumfuzzled at this point. No woman had ever shut him down so coldly and so swiftly. "HEY!" he yelled, running after her again. He obstructed her progress with his body again to bring her to a halt._

_"Are you insane or stupid? I'm really beginning to wonder which it is," she snapped, attempting to sidestep him once more but he moved to stop her. After dancing a bit because he blocked no matter which direction she moved, she gave up. "What do you want?"_

_"Your name."_

_She groaned and rolled her big brown eyes. "Kella."_

_"Kella," he repeated, watching her walk away until he realized she did not ask him name. "Hey, don't you want to know mine?"_

_"No!" she yelled without looking back._

_"It's Grimmjow!" he bellowed louder than necessary to make sure she heard it. The whole damn park heard it._

_"I don't care!" she hollered, without turning._

_"What an amazing woman," he murmured to himself. "You will care one day."  
_

* * *

"Cruel, spiteful bitch," Grimmjow grumbled, attempting to start a fire before he froze to death. He was shaking so badly he could barely hold the flint rock much less get a spark. "Dammit!"

To add insult to injury it was beginning to rain. Did she check the weather report to make sure the conditions were as terrible as possible? He knew there was a cave around here somewhere. She had brought him to that cave to screw his brains out on a regular basis. Looking around at the gray sky it was obvious that night was coming despite the inability to see the sun. He had to find that cave fast.

Grimmjow had been here many times before with her. This was her grandfather's land. Several hundred acres in the middle of nowhere that had been kept in her family for centuries and had been protected for the last several decades for the express purpose of hunting. Every member of the family was a hunter, even the women. Each member was skilled and highly trained with numerous weapons. That should have been a big danger signal to him right there and sent him running in the other direction. Instead, it had intrigued him and drew him in to learn more about her. If he had taken the hint and ran then, he would not be running for his life now.

Grimmjow studied the handle of the knife in his hand. He was surprised she had given it to him considering it had belonged to her grandfather. She had told him with great pride the story of how her grandfather killed the hunter's dream buck. It was a ten point deer with a rack of antlers so large that he made it into a chandelier that still hangs in the family home over the dining room table. One horn had been broken off during the buck's desperate flight after receiving the mortal wound from the same antique shotgun she had pointed at him earlier. Her grandfather had carved and preserved that piece of antler into the handle for this knife. Obviously she intended on reclaiming the prize when she pried it from his stiff dead fingers. He had no intention of letting her do that. Where is that damn cave?

"Yes! Finally!" he yelled when he found the elusive cave. He was soaked to the skin and daylight was almost gone.

Walking to the back of the cave he found the camping supplies they had stashed there. Sleeping bags, blankets, a gas lantern, a stockpile of wood and matches for fires. This was once their special hideaway; the place where they would come to have all the sex they wanted and to be as loud as they wanted.

Grimmjow quickly undressed, wrapping up in a blanket and getting into one of the sleeping bags. He leaned back against one of the walls, closing his eyes. Shivering uncontrollably from the cold, he waited for his aching body to warm up. His mind drifted back to the first night she brought him here.

* * *

_It was the first time Kella had introduced him to her family. They had come to a family dinner which was something her family often had just because they enjoyed being together, no special occasion needed. Since it was a warm summer evening, she and Grimmjow had decided to take a walk to find some private time away from her big, noisy family. He liked the family, and he loved her. After walking through the woods for a while, he gave in to temptation and grabbed her. Pushing her against a tree, he kissed her and caressed her breasts until she was begging him to make love to her. She said she knew the perfect place and they were not far from it._

_"A cave? Are sure there are no bears in here?" he had asked apprehensively._

_"I'm sure. I come here all the time. See," she said, turning on the gas lantern so they could see each other._

_Kella spread out the sleeping bags and blankets to make a bed for them on the soft dirt. She lay down, beckoning him to come to her. She was so lovely to him in the dim light. Grimmjow took special care to undress her slowly, relishing every kiss and caress while he explored her body. He brought her to two climaxes using his mouth before he made love to her and pushed her to another one. Afterwards, they lay in each other's arms talking about their possible future together. That was the night he decided to ask her to marry him. _

* * *

They had no idea how horribly awry things would go in their future.


	2. The Hunter

The Hunter

Kella came from a long line of masterful warriors who became hunters when the wars diminished. She was proud of her heritage and the fact that her name meant warrior. Flannery, her last name, meant descendent of the red warrior. They hunted deer, wild boar, bear, and turkey; pretty much anything that lived in the many acres of forest that her family had owned for centuries. Even the women of the family were taught be skilled hunters with every kind of weapon, particularly guns, knives, and bows. Her training with weapons had begun as soon as she could hold a gun without falling over. She was about two and her first weapon was a simple BB gun. Her grandfather, the patriarch of the family, had trained her himself. She could use other, more obscure and rare, weapons such as a blowgun, a slingshot, and the bolas that other members of the family could not. She had been her grandfather's pride and joy; unapologetically spoiled and coddled, but driven hard to learn the mastery of virtually every weapon known to man. Her beloved grandfather had left her everything when he died which angered many members of the family.

All through school, even through high school, Kella had been the ultimate friend for guys. None of them ever dated her because they knew her and her family too well. Besides, she was one of the few girls who not only knew how to hunt but could do it as well as they could. Most often she was better but they would never concede to that. The male of the human species never showed any real interest in her until she got to college where no one knew her or her family. She never mentioned hunting or weapons because she did not want any of the boys to know about that part of her. Growing her hair extremely long and dressing ultra-feminine warranted her plenty of attention, and she did not want to do anything to ruin it. She discovered that having a boyfriend was not all it was cracked up to be after getting her heart broken several times. After contracting a sexually transmitted disease from a so-called true and loving boyfriend, she had sworn off men altogether. Then the wild, passionate, blue-haired dynamo had entered her life, and she was never the same.

Kella sat down in a rocking chair on the front porch of her family home watching the rain fall. He was out there somewhere, and she was going to get him. Hopefully this rain would clear up by morning. A smile came to her lips when she recalled their first meeting. She remembered this guy was completely insane and she could hardly wait to get away from him. It had taken her by surprise when they met again by pure chance when she was out with her friends one night.

* * *

_There was this new club that a friend of hers wanted to try out. They had just completed midterms so thinking she deserved to party a little she went with them. It did not take her long to regret it when she was promptly left all alone at the table nursing a flat warm beer. Deciding to leave and not bothering to tell her friends because they were busy with two cute guys on the dance floor, she headed to the door._

_"Hey!" someone yelled, grabbing her by the arm._

_Kella turned, her brown eyes meeting familiar cerulean blue ones. Oh, hell no. She was flashed a very pleased, very toothy grin. He looked positively feral and exuded sexual attraction like no man she had ever met. Dammit all anyway. There was the door within reach, but he had her._

_"I was just leaving!" she yelled, hoping he would let her go. No such luck._

_"I'll go with you. I'm tired of being here anyway. I haven't met anyone interesting until now," he said, full of charm and shit all at the same time._

_It was not hard to see that he was trouble from the beginning. What normal human being has blue hair or does what he did to move up in line? Now here he was again. Fate is a bitch. Kella ran to the door when he released her, hoping she could lose him. Unfortunately, being that close to the door meant there were not very many obstacles to slow him down either._

_"What in the hell is wrong with you? Kella!" he bellowed, making her stop in her tracks._

_'He remembered my name. Holy crap!' she thought to herself, turning around to see him walking toward her._

_"I wasn't going to run after you this time. You either want me or you don't," he announced confidently, putting his hands in the pockets of his uber tight jeans. Nothing was left to the imagination including the fact that he was happy to see her and it wasn't a mouse twitching in his pocket. His blue shirt was the same color as his eyes and was buttoned only half way up leaving a lot of his muscular chest bare and open for perusal or touch by any curious, willing woman. He looked like he had the potential to be a real asshole._

_"Are you serious? Really? It's my choice?" she asked incredulously since this was the second time he had practically chased her down._

_"Yeah. Do you want me?" he inquired, smiling with arrogance and conceit._

_"I refuse to even answer that. Do you know how to judge context clues?"_

_"What?"_

_"Of course you wouldn't know what that means. Silly me. Okay. I'm about to do something and I'll see if you understand. It's my answer to your question," she explained with a belittling tone before turning on her heel and walking away._

_"Is that a no?"_

_"Oh, my god! Are you really that dim?"_

_The random meetings continued to happen more frequently. It became apparent that there was nothing accidental about these encounters. He was actually quite the shrewd strategist with more tenacity and ambition than Adolf Hitler. Leaving nothing up to chance, he had gotten a copy of her class schedule, talked to her friends, and even observed her without talking to her to see where she went during a whole day. Stalker anyone? His allure and magnetism wore her down until she finally said yes to a date, ignoring her many misgivings about him._

_Kella fell hard and fast for him just like she knew she would. By the third date, she was in love and gave in to his sexual advances. Then she was hooked. Like a drug addict after her first taste of cocaine, he went from a want to a need. She had to have him just so she could get through the day. She needed his voice, his touch, everything about him. He must have felt the same way because he was always there, always willing, always ready to please. She took him to meet her family, feeling it was time to take their relationship to the next level. Apparently he did too because three months later on their first anniversary he proposed. Then things began to go askew._

_The small things are always the first to go. Unanswered text messages lead to calls that are sent to voicemail. Dates are broken, accusations are made. Eyes start to wander and see greener pastures with longer legs and bigger breasts. Then the lies begin._

_"No. There's no one else. I love you," Grimmjow told her, gazing into her eyes. "I asked you to marry me, remember?"_

_Oh, yes. That must have been what scared the hell out of him and sent him rushing into the arms of the tall, tanned, blond, with ginormous breasts. Poor frightened thing._

_Harribel Tier: the other woman. Harribel was quite stunning with her darkly tanned skin, extraordinarily large breasts, and mile long legs. All of those attributes she proudly showed to the world by always wearing skimpy clothes. Her lemon yellow hair was short and shaggy with three random, long braids. Her green eyes sparkled like gems. She looked like a model._

_At least Grimmjow had cheated with a stunning woman who was nothing like her. Kella in contrast was short and muscular built with long auburn red hair and dark brown eyes. They did share a few things in common. Both women knew how to use weapons with deadly force. Both women had loved the philandering blue haired bastard and were innocent victims from his lies and deceit. Untruths and trickery along with bald faced cheating seemed to be his most prominent qualities that he hid under copious amounts of charisma and blinding sex appeal which he used to string both women along and hurt them._

* * *

The playwright William Congreve once said "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Paybacks are hell especially when born from a broken heart.

Kella looked at her favorite weapons spread across the desk. A bow and arrows, her silver and leather bolas, blowgun and darts, and a twelve inch long Bowie knife; maybe it was enough. She had just completed cleaning her favorite gun: the pistol grip shotgun with their Irish Clan symbols etched along the barrel. Regret filled her from giving the bastard her Grandfather's prize hunting knife. She should have given him one of the cheap Swiss Army knives from the local hardware store. It did not matter. She would get it back when she pried it from his cold dead fingers. Pulling out the lightweight cases, she packed up her weapons of choice. After packing a bag full of ammunition, she loaded her truck. It was time to go hunting.

* * *

_Kella_ _covered her ears when Grimmjow's phone beeped for the tenth time in thirty minutes. Who in the hell keeps texting him at this late hour? They were in bed trying to sleep but the texts kept coming. Her body stiffened when she felt the bed move from him getting up. The click of the bathroom door closing made her flinch as if a bomb had exploded next to her. Rolling over to his side of the bed, her hand searched the nightstand. He had taken the phone with him. She moved back to her side, pretending to be asleep despite the tears running from her eyes. The suspicion had been taunting her for weeks and now she knew without a doubt there was another woman. Choosing to ignore the signs until tonight, she had hoped for the best and told herself she was being paranoid because of their engagement._

_They had moved into an apartment together three months after their engagement. They were not even unpacked yet when the problems began. The regular nightly texts started coming on the third night while they were unloading boxes in the kitchen. He said there was a problem at the store and he needed to go. He was the manager of a packing and shipping store that was open twenty four hours a day. These things had happened before. How could she say he was lying this time? It was easy for him to cheat because he had a built in and completely inarguable excuse from the beginning._

_Kella did not get any sleep that night. She got up to cook breakfast for him before he left for work. She had just dropped the bread in the toaster when he came charging out of the bedroom like a rampaging bull declaring he was late. Her eyes looked at the clock. It was eight. He did not have to be at work until nine and it was only a fifteen minute walk from their new place._

_"But sweetie, I cooked breakfast," she protested, holding the plate out for him._

_The toast popped up from the toaster and he grabbed it in midair. "I gotta go," he declared off handedly, turning to dash out of the kitchen._

_Kella stood in disappointed shock her eyes meeting his when he swung back around the corner. She did not move or react when he kissed her dutifully on the cheek instead of one of his heartfelt good-bye smacks on the lips. Staring after him without saying a word, she watched him retreat again._

_"I love you!" he yelled from the front door, slamming it soundly behind him._

_"Yeah. Sure," she mumbled, taking the plate to the trash. She dumped it along with food and walked to her bedroom. After calling in sick to work, she lay in the bed and cried._

_Once Kella had indulged in a pity party, she got up, got dressed, and got to cleaning. Anger had set in and she always diffused her fury by cleaning. While cleaning dust bunnies from under the bed, she found his phone. Apparently it had gotten knocked off the nightstand during the night. In his haste to leave this morning, he had completely forgotten it. It lay in three pieces from the impact of hitting the floor. After putting it back together and turning it on, she stared at the one new message alert with her finger hovering over the button to open it. Holding her breath and closing her eyes, she pressed it._

_"Oh, my god, no, no," she gasped, covering her mouth to keep from screaming at what she saw. It was the picture of a big breasted naked blond with her legs spread wide open. The message attached read: Hey, lover. This is what awaits you tonight. Can't wait to see you._

_Kella threw the phone at the wall. It stuck in the drywall like a dart. She pulled it out and threw it on the floor, stomping it to pieces just like he had her heart._

_"Put that back together you bastard," she muttered._

_There were no tears this time. She had already shed her last tear for him. It was time for a plan. Payback is a bitch and so is she._


	3. The Hunted

The Hunted

Grimmjow awoke with a start. He hurried to get dressed. The gray light of dawn filled the front of the cave. The rain had stopped. The sun was coming and so was she. He had to get the hell out of here.

* * *

_Grimmjow growled like an animal as he released into the throat of the massive breasted blond between his legs. He smiled with pleasure and self-satisfaction. He was enjoying the best of both worlds. A cute, caring redhead waited for him at home to cook his meals, clean his house, and grant his every wish. A sexy blond nymphomaniac fulfilled his every sexual fantasy no matter how kinky, weird, or downright painful it could be. He loved them both – just for different reasons._

_Kella would be his wife. She was the perfect woman to marry. Pretty, kind, and loving with a compliant obedient nature. A great cook and fastidious house keeper; he would have a happy home. She was fun in bed in a sweet, innocent way. The wildest thing her sexual repertoire was doing it doggy style__,__ and she did not even really like it. She did it for the sole purpose of pleasing him. She complained that it hurt because he hit bottom so much. Was it his fault he was well endowed? Most women saw it as a blessing, not a curse. There was enough of him to go around._

_Then he met her: Harribel Tier. She owned a lingerie store downtown and came in often to send off her internet orders. One day she came in with several pairs of crotchless underwear that hand not been packed yet. _

"_Do I really have to box these?" she asked, holding up a pair of black ones. She spread the crotch with her fingers adding, "They are so small. I don't see the need to put something so small into such a big thing."_

_Grimmjow gulped. All he could think was how he would like to fit something big into a small thing. He reached beneath the counter and retrieved a padded envelope for her._

"_You can pack a lot of those panties in this small envelope. There is something satisfying about stuffing a small thing until it's packed full," he said, giving her one of his most tempting grins._

"_I bet," she rejoined, licking her lips as her eyes traveled down his body. "There's nothing small about you is there?"_

"_No, ma'am. Customer satisfaction is my number one priority," he answered. They had stopped talking about her shipping needs a long time ago. _

"_Here's my card," she announced, handing him the hot pink and black business card shaped like a high heeled shoe. "My personal cell phone number is at the bottom. You can always contact me if anything should come up that you think needs my attention."_

_Something had already come up that wanted her attention but he withheld. After flirting shamelessly with her for a few more minutes, she left and he hid the business card in his wallet behind his driver's license.  
_

* * *

That was the beginning of the end of his relationship with Kella.

If only Kella had been as ignorant and guileless as he thought. She was smarter than he had given her credit for and she was a hell of a lot more malicious and vindictive than he thought possible. He knew she came from a long line of experienced hunters but he never knew she had been her grandfather's pet and had been taught to use every damn thing that could trap, wound, or kill. The old bastard had even taught her torture techniques having been an interrogations expert who questioned prisoners of war in two wars. The whole damn family was freaking insane.

After finishing a quick search of the cave for any possible useful items, specifically something that he could use to kill her, he grabbed the knife and walked out. Naturally she did not leave any of her cherished and beloved weapons in the cave. At least he had the knife that she had so generously given to him. It would give him great satisfaction to do her in with her grandfather's own knife. Call it poetic justice. Hopefully he could get the hell out of this insane asylum today otherwise he would have to find his way back to the cave. Grimmjow shielded his eyes from the dazzling golden sun that peeked above the horizon. The revving engine of her enormous 4x4 truck met his ears. Time to run.

Kella slammed on brakes and the big truck slid to a stop on the muddy ground in front of the cave. A malevolent grin split her face when she saw footprints in the mud leading from the cave. She knew he would come here. She hoped he relieved many of the memories they had made inside while he was stuck shivering from the cold rain and hiding from her. She followed the tracks up the small hill where the disappeared into the thick underbrush were the forest was more dense.

"I'm coming for you, you son of a bitch!" she screamed with every bit of fury in her body.

Her voice echoed through the trees and even scared up a covey of quail nearby, sending them into a panicked flight. Kella Flannery: good for striking fear into the hearts of animals and grown men alike.

Grimmjow leaned against a tree to rest, his chest heaving painfully from the cold air that was streaming directly into his lungs. He jumped as if she had physically touched him when her voice reached his ears. That voice had once whispered loving words to him when he held her. An I love you from her had been a soothing balm to his very soul. Now that shrieking harpy was a harbinger of doom – his doom. He had to come up with a plan because he knew she had one for damn sure.

There had to be something he could do. He was sick of feeling so damn helpless. Continuing to walk through the forest and struggling in the thick undergrowth, he tripped and fell flat on his face. He rolled over and groaned through his gritted teeth from the stabbing sensation in his gut. Glancing down, he saw a small stick poking out of his shirt. Blood had already surrounded where the stick had impaled him.

"Damn! Like she won't do enough damage to me, I do it to my damn self," he grumbled through his teeth that were clenched from the pain. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the stick and yanked. A howl of pain escaped his lips and he cursed himself for giving her a clue to his whereabouts. Maybe she was far enough away she could not pinpoint his location. And maybe she was not carrying that sawed off shotgun in her hand with a bullet waiting for him either.

Kella froze at the door of her truck when she heard the yell. Another disturbing grin of cruelty curled her lips when she concluded it was a cry of agonizing pain. He was close. And he was injured.

"Shit!" he snarled when he heard the roar of the engine and the crashing of small trees as they hit the forest floor. She was using the truck as a battering ram to clear a way through the forest. He needed a hiding place.

Looking up into the thick branches of the ancient oak above him with a trunk as wide as he was tall, Grimmjow clambered up to hide in the upper branches. He would be well hidden and could also see her coming from up here. Holding his hand over the wound, he hunkered down to wait.

* * *

"_What the hell happened to my phone?" Grimmjow bellowed from the bedroom._

_Kella refused to answer. She turned up the television to cover his cursing and ranting. Watching him with her rage infused eyes as he strode into the living room, she avoided making eye contact when he turned to look at her. _

"_Why did you do that?" he demanded only to be ignored. He moved in front of the television, his ire boiling over when she continued to stare as if she could see right through him. In a fit of fury, he grabbed the TV and slammed it to the floor. It shattered and sparked, sending up thin wisps of smoke as it died an untimely death from Grimmjow's temper._

"_I asked you a fucking question! What did you do to my goddamn phone you bitch?" he bellowed at full volume despite the fact he was standing four feet away from her._

_When she did not move, Grimmjow leapt at her, grabbing her by the throat. He immediately froze when he felt a sharp pricking sensation like a needle to his member through his jeans. Looking down, he saw a shiny steel bowie knife that was at least twelve inches long pushed into him until it had jabbed through the material of his jeans and was poking his private parts with wicked intent__._

_Kella had been hiding the knife under the couch cushion she was sitting on. She had been prepared for this because she had witnessed his temper before. He neither had the right nor the privilege of being offended that she had acted out by annihilating his phone after discovering proof of his covert lover. He better pray the phone was the only thing she destroyed and decimated into tiny pieces. _

"_Get your fucking hands off of me before I cut it off. You wouldn't want to disappoint your friend with the size G breasts would you?" she asked, seeing the horror flicker through his blue eyes. "Oh, yes, I know. I saw her picture. I also know that you are going to meet her tonight so go. Go to her. She's waiting."_

_Kella glowered at him malevolently while he removed his hands from her throat and then backed away. She stood up from the couch, pointing toward the door with the knife. "Get out," she ordered, in an alarmingly calm voice that was in direct contrast with the wrath and malice in her eyes._

"_What about my stuff?" he asked, backing down the hall to the door._

"_It will still be here. I'm leaving. Don't come back until the morning. Everything I own will be gone and so will I," she answered emotionlessly, lowering her arm as he steadily withdrew to the door without taking his eyes from her. The knife in her hand glinted threateningly in the harsh florescent light striking it from the kitchen._

"_What about the ring?" he inquired, stopping at the door._

"_Here," she replied, ripping it from her finger and throwing it at him._

_Grimmjow flinched when the ring hit his chest. After it pinged against the hardwood floor, he bent down to pick it up. Shoving it deep in his pocket, he reached back to turn the doorknob._

"_I don't know why you want it. She certainly doesn't seem to be the marrying type," she spat at him viciously, the words coated with venom._

"_She's not. That's what you were for. You would have been a great wife," he said, stepping out of the door._

"_You would have been a suck ass husband," she retorted, walking forward a few steps. Her hand reached out for the lead crystal vase to her right. If she threw it hard enough and it connected just right with his temple, the blow would be hard enough to cause a terminal blunt force trauma to his brain._

"_Crazy bitch!" he yelled with an arrogant smirk on his face._

"_Fucking bastard!" she screamed shrilly, launching the vase at his head._

"_Whoa! Damn!" he yelled, slamming the door._

_Kella shrieked like a wounded beast with fury and pain when the vase contacted the door and shattered into a thousand diamond like pieces. She dropped to all fours, vomiting right there on the living room floor. The anger and hurt was so intense it was literally making her sick. The nausea began to subside as she set about cleaning up the mess._

"_I'll kill him. I'm gonna kill a that bastard," she repeated to herself over and over as if It were some creepy mantra to soothe her pain._

* * *

Grimmjow stared down from his perch at the huge silver truck that had stopped right beneath the tree he was hiding in. Damn, she was a scary human being. He watched as she jumped out and looked around, spinning in a slow circle as if she were confused. He smiled when she glanced around a few more times and checked behind the big trees nearby then returned to the truck in defeat. It never occurred to her to look up. After she got back into the truck, he watched it climb up the steep incline and disappear over the crest of the hill.

'Ha ha. Fooled you. Missed me this time. Bitch,' he thought to himself with derisive glee.


	4. Bang! You're Dead!

Bang! You're Dead

Grimmjow groaned and tried to straighten his sore and cramping legs. He had been in this damn tree for hours. He wanted to be sure the psycho ex-girlfriend from hell was gone for good before he climbed down. His body was telling him it was time to get down from his hiding his place whether he liked it or not.

Kella could hear branches snapping followed by his soft curses. She knew he was in that tree! She had parked her truck at the top of the hill and stealthily made her way back down here. He had absolutely no clue she was here and waiting for him. The real fun was about to begin. The three heavy metal balls at the end of the long leather straps of her bolas softly brushed against her leg as they swung gently from where they were securely strapped at her waist. Her pistol grip shotgun was in the specially made holster that was strapped to her back. She stepped from behind the tree when she heard him hit the ground and emit a soft "oomph" sound. She pulled back the arrow and drawstring on her recurve bow and aimed.

Grimmjow heard the soft hiss pass his ear just before the pain devastated his shoulder. He glanced down to see the long wooden shaft attached to an arrow embedded under his collarbone. A primal scream of excruciating pain propelled itself from his throat as he stared at it, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.

"Hey, asshole," she said, smiling as he jumped so hard he nearly fell down. She was sure his legs were stiff after being up in that tree for so long. He was probably going into shock after being shot with an arrow as well. She wondered if he would be able to run.

"Shit!" he yelled, glaring hatefully at her. His cerulean blue eyes met her brown ones. He was taken aback by the neutral expression held there and the complete lack of emotion on her face.

"Run," she stated menacingly, pulling another arrow from the quiver attached to her belt.

Grimmjow put his hands on his hips. He was tired, sore, and in terrible pain. He also seriously doubted he could run very far on his wobbly legs. Although he would die before admitting it, she scared the hell out of him.

"No," he responded stubbornly holding his ground.

"What?" she laughed mockingly in disbelief.

"I'm done with your stupid game. Kill me. Go ahead. I dare you," he taunted, growing cocky from her absence of anger.

What he did not grasp was that she had reached a different and much scarier plane of existence. She had left behind the emotionalism that put these events into play and was now operating on cold rational thought albeit though this was a very irrational situation. Regardless, she was thinking and planning her moves not just acting randomly on emotions. So far she had done an excellent job of anticipating his actions and reactions.

Kella shrugged and put down the bow and arrow. Pulling her shotgun from the holster on her back, she aimed at him.

"Run," she muttered in an eerily tranquil voice, moving the shotgun just a bit as she squeezed the trigger. The trunk of the small tree next to him exploded into splinters from the hollow point bullet; that should motivate him. Raising her hand above her head, she began to swing the bolas.

Grimmjow was still too traumatized to move. He could feel the woody shrapnel from the slaughtered tree piercing his arm and neck. 'What the hell is she doing now?' he wondered, watching her moving her arm in a circle with her hand raised in the air. He could not see the weapon because she had it spinning at full speed already in anticipation of his panicked flight.

"RUN!" she screamed, shocking him into action as her shrill voice met his ears. She smiled when he bolted for the open field instead of the safety of the woods. She had been hoping for that reaction. Walking slowly after him like a predator stalking its prey, she readied herself to release the bolas. Taking him down would bring her great satisfaction.

"Damn, he's fast to be so big," she remarked out loud, letting loose of the weapon. It was barely perceptible as it flew through the air to find its target. She watched as the obscure weapon hit his calves, the balls carrying the straps by momentum to wrap around his legs and bring him down like a roped calf. "Yee haw, you son of a bitch! I've got you!"

"What the hell just happened?" he bellowed, looking down at his legs that were tied together with leather straps that had three heavy silver balls hanging off of them. "What the fuck is this?"

Grimmjow reached down in a desperate rush to unravel the straps to free his legs. The pain from the arrow radiated through his shoulder and arm making it hard for him to move. He looked up to see Kella leisurely striding across the field toward him. Damn! Why had he freaked and ran this way instead of into the forest? She could not have used this damn weapon to tangle him up then. His fingers worked spastically to disengage the straps.

"Crazy bitch," he muttered for the thousandth time. He glanced up to see how close she was now. Halfway across the field. Dammit. Feverishly working to untangle himself, he finally pulled the right string and the weapon unraveled enough he could push it off.

Kella smiled with satisfaction when she saw him stand up and bolt for the trees on the other side of the field. The running game continues.

* * *

_Kella was walking from their apartment toward downtown when she saw a familiar blond coming out of the packing and shipping store where Grimmjow works. Two months had passed since she had moved out, and she was still angry. Staring at the tall woman with lemon yellow hair recognition immediately struck her. It was HER! Seeing the woman in clothes had thrown her momentarily. Bounding across the street to follow, she stayed a good distance behind the woman so maybe she would not be noticed. She was accustomed to tracking animals in the woods, not human beings in the concrete jungle. _

"_A lingerie store? Why doesn't that surprise me?" Kella muttered under her breath when she watched her walk into the store. She casually trotted over to the store, going inside. Boldly walking straight to the front counter where the woman was unpacking leather bustiers, she cleared her throat to gain her attention._

"_Can I help you?" she inquired pleasantly just like any good shop owner would._

"_Do you know Grimmjow Jaggerjacques?" Kella asked as politely as possible with all the fury seething inside of her._

"_Oh, yeah, the handsome, flirty guy at the shipping store. Why?" she queried, the smile slowly dropping from her face._

"_I think you know him more intimately than that," Kella accused, glaring at the woman with hate and death in her eyes._

"_What do you mean?" _

"_You slept with him. He was my fiancée." _

"_I-I didn't know he had a fiancée. He told me he was single!" the woman exclaimed._

"_Oh, really?" Kella was dubious as to the woman's sincerity._

"_Yes! I never would have done that otherwise!" she protested vehemently. Her eyes were filled with hurt and tears._

"_Maybe we should sit down and talk," Kella suggested. "We have a common enemy."  
_

* * *

Now what? He leaned against a tree to catch his breath. Grimmjow felt completely out of options. It was hard to think. He was tired, hungry, and weak. This seemed hopeless. She was resourceful, cunning, and completely relentless. Despair threatened to overwhelm him and make him give up. He heard the roar of the truck engine in the distance and it sounded like an animal growling. It, however, was not the beast. The beast was within: she was angry, bitter, and coming for him.

* * *

"_Harribel, dammit! You've got to help me," Kella pled with the obstinate blond. How could she not want revenge on the blue haired bastard who duped them both? That bastard had humiliated them. He deserved it._

"_Are you really going through with that ridiculous revenge scheme of yours? I do not have to help you and I won't," she said resolutely, signaling an end to the conversation by raising her nose in the air with obvious indignation__._

"_Fine. I don't need your help. I'll do it all by myself."_

* * *

_Kella was carefully observing Grimmjow as he moved about in the apartment__.__ From her vantage point in the tree outside, she could see him easily as he walked through every room of the apartment. He never had bothered to put the curtains up. His laziness was working to her advantage at this time. _

_Three more months had passed. After her first visit to Harribel, she had received an upsetting surprise. She was pregnant. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back and the literal revelation that completely unhinged her sanity. That was when the plot for vengeance had begun to grow and blossom in her mind. She was now twenty weeks pregnant with his child. Her hand moved over her burgeoning belly. Although she has known for a while about the pregnancy, she would not tell him. Abortion had not been an option: she refused to punish the baby because the father was a cheating asshole. Her plan was adoption since she did not want to keep the baby. She did not want the baby by virtue of the fact it was part of him and would be a constant reminder of him. As far as she was concerned, he had no real right or claims to the baby and she would not give him or the court system a chance to tell her otherwise._

_Kella waited until nightfall to take him. She raised her .22 caliber gun with a silencer on the end to shoot. Hitting the window in a weak spot, it shattered and fell from the frame. When he appeared at the window to check it out, she took a deep breath and raised the blowgun with a tranquilizer dart in the end. Giving one short hard puff, she sent the dart on its way. A malevolent smile touched her mouth when his hand flew to his neck. Before he could even pull the dart out, he lost consciousness._

_Gotcha._

* * *

"Ready or not! Here I come!" Kella screamed, moving across the forest floor with ease and elegance. She was like an agile deer bounding over stumps and logs as she pursued her quarry. A flash of blue appeared and she raised the run and fired. Shoot now and sort the bodies out later had become her motto. She was ready to end this game and his life.

"Damn psycho! You almost killed me!" he yelled.

"You're just now getting the idea of this little game?" she taunted, standing still and waiting for him to move again. A twig cracked to her left but she did not move. She had distinctly seen him run to the right. Something came hurtling toward her and she easily moved out of the way. The pinecone hit the tree beside her and burst into pieces. She laughed; loudly and wickedly. "That's it. A pinecone?"

Kella cried out in astonishment when she was unexpectedly tackled and thrown on the ground by a furious blue haired man. She rolled onto her belly and tried to crawl away but he grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her back. Flipping onto her back and folding her legs between them, she kicked up and pushed him back. She was not going down easily and she had no intention of staying down. Getting to her feet, she lurched forward to grab her gun from the leaves scattered across the ground. She screamed when a hand seized her ankle with an iron grip, squeezing mercilessly as he pulled her down to the ground. Another shriek pierced the air as the bones ground together painfully and threated to break. Rolling onto her back once more, she raised the gun and fired.

Grimmjow roared with pain, sitting back on his heels in his kneeling position. His hand covered the gaping bloody hole in his other shoulder. It was a through and through shot. It was not fatal but it hurt like hell.

"Just end it. I'm done. You're crazy and I'm screwed. Just kill me," he panted, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones.

"How do you want to die? I'll let you choose. Want me to shoot you or cut your throat?" she inquired, pulling out the scary as hell bowie knife.

"Shoot me. I want it quick with no suffering. Not the face though," he requested as she pulled up the gun to aim. He squeezed his eyes shut to wait for the final shot.

A sound like a firecracker echoed through the cold air. Grimmjow slowly opened his eyes and unclenched his teeth when he realized he had not been hit. He stared at the stunned and deathly white face of Kella. He watched in confusion as she dropped to her knees. For reasons he did not understand, he moved forward to catch her before she fell forward onto her face. His eyes fell on Harribel standing behind her several feet away with a handgun hanging limply from her fingertips.

"It's ironic isn't it?" Kella asked, grunting in pain when Grimmjow turned her to cradle her in his arms.

"What?" he asked, not sure why he wanted to hold her but he did. She would have killed him had it not been for Harribel shooting her, but he did not care.

"I was trying to kill you and now I'm the one dying. Don't let me die," she begged, her fear filled brown eyes meeting his.

"Why?" Terror permeated him because he had never seen her afraid, particularly during this misadventure.

Kella raised her jacket and shirt, showing him her rounded belly.

"Oh, oh, no," he murmured, laying his shaking hand on her belly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to know. I found out the day after I visited your girlfriend there," she said, jerking her head toward Harribel. Her breathing was already becoming labored and coming in loud, ominous gasps. "I didn't get an abortion because it was not the baby's fault all that happened. It hurt. What you did devastated me."

"Kella, I'm sorry," he whispered, laying his forehead against hers. Guilt threatened to consume him and squeeze the life out of him to finish the job she had started. She was so cold already. A blue ring had formed around her lips. "No, this can't be happening. All of this is a bad dream."

Kella tried to laugh but it came out as a wet, choking cough and blood bubbled up into her mouth, leaking from the corner of her lips. "I wanted to believe for so long all of it was a nightmare. That you still loved me. That you never cheated on me. It hurt so much."

God! Why did she have to keep repeating it? Grimmjow sat up to look at her, watching the tear slide from her eye and disappear into her hair. He wiped away the next one that fell, pressing a kiss to her forehead as more blood flowed from her mouth. She was dying in his arms. It was too late for regret and remorse. His guilt and apologies would not save her.

"The baby, save the baby," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Harribel, dammit! Quit standing there and go get the truck!"

* * *

Grimmjow had gotten Kella to the hospital soon enough to save her body, but she was already brain dead due to lack of oxygen. When Harribel had shot her in the back, the bullet pierced her lung, collapsing it and filling it with blood. This caused her to basically suffocate on her own blood. She had been hooked up to life support machines to keep her alive until later in her pregnancy when the baby could be born safely.

Harribel was sent to jail for murder and attempted murder (the baby). Grimmjow became a father, taking his baby girl to raise her.

* * *

"Daddy! Daddy!" his three year old daughter yelled, raising her arms to be held.

"You ready for bed, sweetheart?" Grimmjow asked, already knowing the answer. Kids are never ready for bed. He kissed his auburn-haired daughter's freckled cheek then looked into her blue eyes. "What do you want to hear for a bedtime story?"

"Tell me the one about Mommy!" she squealed. She loved hearing all the stories her Daddy told her about her Mommy.

Grimmjow kept to the good times obviously. He held nothing against Kella for the very last days before her death. She had given him a beautiful gift in their daughter. He understood the bittersweet pain of a daily reminder of someone he loved who hurt him so much.

"Mommy," he murmured, feeling the familiar prick of hurt and guilt in his heart but he forced a smile to his lips for his baby. He lay his daughter down on her little bed, pulling the pink covers over her. "Mommy…you're named after her, remember, Kella? Okay. I'll tell you about the day we met. I went to my favorite coffee shop and the line was really long. Then I saw I saw this beautiful redhead at the front of the line that I just had to meet..."


End file.
